Where to start?

[isitsmallorfaraway]

I want to get the ball rolling in terms of splitting up. I know the first step is to get legal advice - where do I start? How do I get some legal advice? Thank you

I googled family solicitors in my area and found one who offered a free 30 minute consultation. It was really helpful. I also spoke to a bank ang got a mortgage agreement in principle so I knew the maximum I could borrow, and spoke to a work colleague who had been through a divorce.
I posted on here too and the replies helped l so much. Good luck!

Housing is usually the most complicated bit.
Do you have a mortgage ?
Can you afford the mortgage on your own and to pay your ex 50% of the equity? (I know that sometimes people get more than 50% but say 50%) lf so, would you rather stay in the current joke or sell and move out?
If you can’t afford to pay the mortgage and his equity then you can look up how much mortgage a bank would lend you and see what a hypothetical home might cost you on RightMove assuming that you get 50% of the equity. If they are still too expensive, how much more do you need?
All assets are up for negotiation. You can ask for more of the equity or savings and less of his pension if that suits you better but don’t forget that he’s allowed to ask for 50% of your assets too. That’s why I’m saying to assume 50% in your hypothetical calculations about mortgages.

If you rent together then how many months left on the contract ? If each of you can afford the rent on your own, it might be worth asking the landlord to take one of you off the contract (assuming that one person wants to stay) but it might be easiest to wait until contract runs out too.

Depending on how much you're willing to spend, definitely look up solicitors in your area and book meetings with them. Some may give a free consultation first so use that to either ask questions and get answers you need (have questions ready beforehand to make the most of your time) or decide whether they seem like the type of solicitor you would like to manage your divorce. You want someone who will act in your best interests as some only really care about getting a payout.
Use this list too beforehand to make sure you have all your things in order before starting the process. It makes things a bit easier as during this time it can be hard to remember everything you need to do. https://iamlip.com/help-guides/pre-divorce/